Data communication systems exchange user data with User Equipment (UEs) to provide various data communication services. The UEs may be phones, computers, media players, and the like. The data communication services may be Internet access, voice/video calling, messaging, evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS), location-based services, local bulletin (news/traffic/weather), vehicle services (V2X), group communications, enterprise access, or some other computerized information services.
A popular wireless communication technology is Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE networks use wireless base stations called evolved Node Bs (eNodeBs) to connect the UEs to LTE network cores. The LTE network cores comprise network elements like Mobility Management Entities (MMEs), gateways, controllers, routers, databases, and servers. A UE is often attached to a default MME for its serving eNodeB. The MME orchestrates session control over the LTE network elements to deliver multiple data services to the UE. The MME exchanges Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling for the data services with the UE over the eNodeB. The UE exchanges user data for the data services with gateways systems over the eNodeB.
The default MME may select another MME to replace itself based on UE mobility or MME loading. The eNodeBs handle these types of MME hand-overs, but the eNodeBs are not efficient and effective when attaching a UE to multiple MMEs for multiple data services. In addition, the MMEs do not cooperate effectively in this multi-service, multi-MME environment.